Victory in the
Pacific
PBEM Rules and FormatQuestions &
Clarifications

Dice Questions

Q.1 [6/99]What if my
opponent rolls too many dice?A. The extra rolls should be ignored.

Q.2 [6/99] What if my
opponent doesn't roll enough dice for what he's specified?A. Use the dice rolled for as many results as possible. Ask
your opponent to roll enough additional dice to finish interpreting
the result.

Q.3 [7/99] What if the layout
of the dice does not match the comments? A. This answer is relevant only to dice servers whose results are laid
out in a row/column pattern which is critical in determining the meaning of the
results. If there are exactly the right number of dice to match the
layout described in the comments, the dice should be read across and
then down as if they were in the right layout. For example, a request
whose comments imply dice in 4 columns but shows up as follows:

2 6
4 5
6 1
3 2

would be read as:

2 6 4 5
6 1 3 2

Another example, suppose the dice request calls for two columns
but arrives in four. In that case, the second set of numbers shown
above would be read as if it were laid out like first set of numbers
shown above.

Any other layout error should result in a re-roll.

Q.4 [1/10] What if the comments that arrive
with the dice clearly identify some attacks but not others?A. This is considered an error. Most often
this will result in a complete re-roll. However, if it's possible to a)
use the clearly identified dice as rolled, b) re-roll only those which were not
clear, and c) not offer your opponent new decisions which could be affected by
the dice being kept, then and only then should you consider allowing a partial
re-roll.

Q.5 [1/05] The dice server,
dice@pbm.com, used to be heavily used in the
PBEM tournaments. Why has it been de-certified?A. Unfortunately, this particular server occasionally begins re-using the same
random seed for multiple dice requests -- meaning that the same dice are
generated for each request. Reliable dice servers occasionally go down,
but they don't send out bad results as this one does! Those who still wish
to use dice@pbm.com may do so if their
opponent agrees AND they request the dice twice -- with the second request
labeled as the "official results." If both requests return the same
result, both are discarded. Otherwise, the second is used.

Q.6 [1/16] What if my opponent doesn't
receive the dice from the dice server?A. If you didn't email
dice@gameaholics.com (the dice archive), there's nothing you can do except
re-roll. If you did, you can email the
GM and request a copy of the emailed
dice. The GMs of War at Sea and Victory in the
Pacific, with permission, use the others' dice archive for their own games.
Lost email happens to me about once in every 6-8 games (which is approximately
1% of dice requests).

Q.7 [1/16] What if the dice request
doesn't come back?A. First, ask the
GM for the dice archive's copy (see
Q.6).
But, if neither you nor your opponent have received the dice and you both agree
OR it's been 24 hours since the dice request, send a test dice
request. If
you get the test back (see Q.9) and the original
dice request still hasn't returned, then re-issue the request. I strongly recommend
identifying such requests as 2nd (or 3rd) and stating
what is to happen if earlier requests come back. I recommend making the
last request authoritative (since there's no way the original request can
contain such description); these instructions are binding.

Q.8 [1/16] What if multiple dice
requests are made and return, but the one
identified as authoritative contains an error? Do we use the other?A. No. Once a dice request identifies another dice request as
invalid (if it's prior to the dice coming back), that invalidated request
can no longer be used even if it comes back and even if the identifying request is
invalid. Treat this as if the non-authoritative dice
request had never been made or returned.

Q.9 [1/16] What if the dice server is
down?A. First, send a test request to the dice server to verify that it's not
responding. Please do not contact the owner of the dice server. We
risk losing their services if we pester them. If it is down, contact the
GM and have him make a single contact
with the owner of the dice server on behalf of all PBEM players.

Q.10 [1/10 & 1/16] The same dice request was sent more
than once without any indication of which has precedence. Which do we use or is a re-roll necessary?A. When there's an accidental
re-send or an unidentified re-roll, the results with the earliest final timestamp are used. For
example, the following could be returned by dice@finberg.org
(in the first attachment):

The timestamp in bold is used to determine which result was earliest.
The results with the earliest timestamp are used. Note: This
is important because the timestamps are not always in the same sequence (i.e.,
processing order is not always the same as arrival order). If the last
timestamps are identical, use the next-to-last timestamp (and so on). If
all timestamps are identical (a case I've never encountered), a re-roll will be
required.

Q.11 [9/16] Why has http://www.vwroller.com/ been removed from the list of preferred dice servers?A. Unfortunately, human beings are prone to laziness when it comes to trusting computer generated dice. VWRoller puts a summary of results at the top which encourages players to use it for results instead of the detailed section. This makes errors with respect to the number of dice rolled (too many or too few) and whether or not a bonus is applied to the rolls much less likely to be caught. As a computer programmer, I am reminded of the "Are you sure?" fallacy -- where users simply learn to hit the save key twice in a row, bypassing the
benefit of the question. The summary makes it too easy to miss an error -- even if your opponent has been accurate for the last 40 or 100 dice requests. However, players are free to use this server if their opponent agrees.

Q.12 [9/16] What happens if a player has so many attacks in one area that two (or more) dice requests are needed?A. A player must specify all attacks before or with the first request. A partial attack without specifying all of the attacks is void. Note: Areas may be rolled in order -- so not all areas of combat must be rolled at once. But a single area may not be split between dice requests without specifying all attacks in advance.

Adjustment Questions

Q.4-1 [5/13] Example: Saratoga, based at
Guadalcanal with 3 damage points, is removed at the end of Turn 2. She
misses Turn 3 and returns, with any repairs, at the start of Turn 4 to Pearl
Harbor (with all of the other reinforcements) or to Samoa (if Pearl Harbor has
fallen).

Q.4-2 [7/15] If I'm using adjustments 3b and 4,
what happens to a ship removed to San Diego on Turn 1 which would normally
return with the Turn 3 Reinforcements? Is that ship trapped in Pearl Harbor?A. No. The returning, repaired ships are treated as reinforcements
for all purposes.

Q.4-3 [3/18] Can ships that fail speed rolls,
are disabled in combat, or successfully retreat from combat base in San Diego?A. No. Ships do not move to San Diego until basing. However,
a ship already in a port/base can move to San Diego during the basing step.

Rules of Play Questions

In general, questions regarding email play of VITP can be answered
by considering the face-to-face (FTF) game. The intent of the PBEM
VITP system is to mimic the FTF exactly with only a few, specific
exceptions (LBA placement and simultaneous resolution of combat areas). There
should be no difference whatsoever in any area where it has not
been explicitly stated.

Q.3-1 [10/02] The placement of my last LBA is so
critical that I'd rather place it by itself. Is that possible?A. Yes. First, figure out how many placements you are allowed --
this is the IJN's total available LBA divided by two, rounded up. Make
sure you place all but one LBA in the earlier placements. Example #1:
The IJN has 5 LBA and, therefore, 3 placements -- place the first four LBA
during patrols and
the first two placements. Example #2: The IJN had 4 LBA and,
therefore, 2 placements -- place the first three LBA with patrols or in the first placement.
Note: The USN never has to place more LBA than the IJN has already placed
(which is the same as the FTF game), so this question isn't relevant to the
Allies.

Q.3-2 [1/10] Do all of the LBA in a placement
have to go to the same sea area?A. No. Each LBA can individually go to any sea area where you have
a port or base.

Q.3-3 [2/13] Do "total IJN LBA placed" and
"total Allied LBA placed" refer to the current placement or the turn so far?A. To the total which have been placed in all placements (and during
patrols) during the turn so far.

Q.9-1 [9/97]How can there be an order of combat if everything is fought
simultaneously?A. Even though combat is fought simultaneously, combat is
regarded as if it were finished in the order designated by the IJN in
Step 9. In addition, dice should be
rolled in the designated order of combat (unless rolled in a single
dice server request). Ships from a later battle cannot
be air-raided by CVs that remain from an earlier battle. For example,
if the order were Coral Sea and then U.S. Mandate, ships from the
Mandate which were disabled to New Hebrides could not be targeted
during air raids by the carriers in the Coral Sea.
In the case of amphibious units which can have an effect on a second
area, the combat of any area designated as later in the order may, in
fact, be delayed (at the
discretion of either player) until the second round of combat begins
in the earlier area.

Q.9-2 [1/06]What order of combat is used if the IJN fails to specify one?A. Use the order of the areas in the IJN player's first combat dice
request. If attacks from one area are intermingled with those from other
areas, then the USN player shall designate the order at the first point where he
feels it makes a difference.

Q.9-3
[6/03] The order of battle is South Pacific followed by Indonesia.
After the first round, the IJN retreats from the South Pacific. The
Victorious would normally not pursue -- to allow the British 0-2-7(2) in
Indonesia to survive the end of turn removals. However, if the British CVL
is lost in Indonesia, it would. Can I delay the decision to pursue in the
South Pacific until after Indonesia is resolved?A. No. Attrition is not one of the allowed reasons for delaying
simultaneous combat resolution.

Q.9-4
[1/04] The IJN will win the U.S. Mandate this turn. I need to
be able to move from Truk through either the South Pacific Ocean or the Marshall
Islands next turn. The Marshalls are first in the combat order. Can
I delay SPO to see if I'll be able to move through the Marshalls next turn
(since I'd prefer to shoot at carriers in the SPO over patrollers)?A. Yes. The delay is allowed, not because of preferred targeting
choices in SPO, but because of the need to secure one viable path to the U.S.
Mandate on the next turn. Note that SPO should proceed as soon as the
control situation in the Marshalls is clear.

Q.9-5
[2/14] If, per the notes following Step 16, an area is delayed, can
it's day/night rolls be made?A. No. All aspects of the resolution of a delayed area are also postponed
-- including preference rolls. Any preferences rolls already made are
discarded.

Q.10/11-1 [1/06]The format specifies that each player rolls his own day/night preferences
dice. However, it's common for one player to roll for both. Which is
correct?A. Either player may freely agree to let his opponent request his
day/night preference dice. However, unless specifically agreed upon,
players should assume that the format will be followed and that each player will
roll his own dice.

Q.9/16-1
[6/98] One player has LBA in both Indonesia and the
Marianas with a single base in the Philippines. The order of battle
designated by the IJN player is Marianas and then Indonesia. An enemy
amphibious unit is in the Marianas. Night action comes up for the
Marianas, and the amphibious unit captures the Philippines after
the first round of combat. Indonesia gets a day action. Does the
Land Based Air from the Philippines get the chance to attack in
Indonesia?A. At the discretion of either player, Indonesia could have
been delayed one round (such that
combat there would begin at the same time as the second round in the
Marianas). If so, the LBA in Indonesia will never get a chance to
attack. However, if neither player makes the election to delay the
combat, then, yes, the LBA would get the chance to attack. Keep in
mind that in the case of the delay, the day/night selection and rolls
for the delayed area are also delayed.
Note that if the Marianas had been designated second in the order of
battle both areas could be fought simultaneously since the invasion
would not affect the status of the LBA in Indonesia during the
battle.

Q.9/16-2
[4/99] Suppose the US holds Guadalcanal and has a
Marine sitting on it. In the FTF game, the IJN could resolve combat
in the Coral Sea first and, if it had surviving CVs, air raid
Guadalcanal and, if it destroyed the Marine, land an SNLF in the
Coral Sea to disable any Allied LBA in South Pacific. Unless the
combat in the Coral Sea lasts only a single round, the one
round delay permitted to resolve marine action will not permit an
air raid/invasion in time to stop Allied LBA in the South Pacific
from entering combat. Can the South Pacific be delayed until the
complete resolution of the Coral Sea, is the Allied LBA effective for
the entire South Pacific battle, or does the SNLF landing (and
disabling South Pacific LBA) take place in "real time" (with the
South Pacific one round behind)?A. The intent of the amphibious invasion rules are that
invasions can occur prior to any combat in other areas that could be
directly affected by them. In this case, notify your opponent of your
intent and the resolution of the South Pacific combat can be delayed
until the Coral Sea effects on the ownership of Guadalcanal are
determined.

Q.9/16-3
[4/99] Suppose I am defending Indonesia and Marianas
with air units and the Allies have Marines in Indonesia. I expect to
win the battle in Indonesia but the Marianas is questionable. I
currently control both areas such that if I control them again the
Philippines would flip back to IJN control at the end of the turn
even if the Allied Marines land at that base. Can I resolve the
Marianas first (even though no Marines are present there) so that if
I win, I know I don't have to shoot at the Marines in Indonesia?A. The intent of the system is to mimic FTF play as much as
possible (with specific exceptions that are designed to speed the
play of the game). In this case, notify your opponent of your
reasoning and Indonesia may be delayed until the Marianas has been
resolved. Obviously, Indonesia must be designated later in the order
of combat.

Q.9/16-4
[8/01] The Allies have a Marine in Indonesia which
will probably invade the Philippines. There is also a battle in the
Marianas. I'd prefer that none of the ships disabled from the
Marianas fight be able to base in the Philippines. Can I delay
Indonesia one round, as many rounds as I want, or not at all?A. If the order of combat designated in Step
9 has the Marianas before Indonesia, then the Philippines is
unavailable to units fighting in the Marianas regardless of when
combat is rolled. The conversion of the Philippines doesn't
technically occur until the Marianas is considered to be finished. On
the other hand, if Indonesia is first in the order of combat, the
Philippines will be available to ships disabled in the Marianas. Delays in
resolution would not alter this and are, therefore, not allowed in this case.

Q.10-1
[1/16] What if the Allied player did not specify which carriers would use
gunnery at night? Can he still return fire with carriers that were attack
by IJN surface units?A. No. Carriers which are not specified to be attacking in Step 10
may not attack.

Q.13/14-1
[6/11]When do successfully disengaging ships return to port--at the instant their
particular retreat group escapes or only once all retreat/pursuit combat in that area
is over? A. Since basing occurs in
Step 15/16, disengaging ships return to port at
the end of the round when their group escapes (even if there are still other
pursuit groups continuing to fight). However, an entire round of combat is
completed for each pursuit group in Step 13/14 before any basing decisions need
to be made.

Q.15/16-1
[5/99] How can I know the results of an area and the
basing of my opponent's disabled ships before I go on to fight a
battle later in the designated order?A. This is not an acceptable reason to delay the resolution
of combat in an area. The PBEM system specifically and intentionally
alters the FTF game in this regard. Disabled ships must base in the
Step 15/16 immediately after being
disabled and prior to the next round of combat in their area. That
means that ships in areas later in the designated order of combat
will be basing during the same step as ships in earlier areas --
before the next round of combat (which will affect all areas
simultaneously).

Q.15-2
[1/04] Can the IJN wait until after the Allied decision to
retreat/stay before deciding whether to use an NLF to invade or not (or to
decide which base to invade)?A. No. However, the IJN can make the decision conditional on the Allied
retreat/stay decision. Note: This might effect the Allied decision.

Q.15-3 [1/10] The first round of combat is over.
Three areas have more combat, including the area with the I-Boat. Can I delay the combat in the area that
contains the I-Boat by resolving the I-Boat at the same time as the
second round of combat in the other two areas?A. No. The I-Boat shot is handled in the follow-up step to the
combat round. Your opponent is entitled to know the result of this attack
before choosing day/night preferences for the following round in all three
areas. If the I-Boat wishes to wait, it must wait until the end of the
next combat round for its next opportunity to attack.

Q.15/16-5
[1/10] Is the delay of a battle later in the designated order
allowable unless it is specifically prohibited by the listed exceptions?
For example, suppose I'm interested in having a way to move into Indonesia next
turn. A victory in either the South Pacific Ocean or Indian Ocean would
achieve my objective. Can I delay the Indian Ocean (later in the order)
while the South Pacific Ocean is revolved?A. In the case of your example, yes. The simple, general rule is
that if there's a reason to delay a later area, other than the convenience of
knowing the POC or attrition outcome of or the basing of disabled/withdrawn
ships from another area, it's probably a valid reason. Ask your opponent
for the delay and state your reasoning.

Q.15/16-6
[4/13] Can I voluntarily withdraw from an area during steps 15-16 a
round or two after the combat in that area has finished (i.e., while waiting for
combat in other areas to finish)?A. No. The last opportunity to withdraw from an area is the step
15-16 immediately following that area's final combat round. This decision
may not be delayed, even for resolution of areas that are earlier in the Step 9
combat order. For an area with no combat, this opportunity comes after the
first simultaneous combat round (the first Step 15/16 of the turn).

Q.1 [1/10] What exactly are
my options when I make a mistake?A. You can require your opponent to accept the most generous interpretation of your mistake
from his point-of-view or you can work with him to gain a more
equitable resolution. What's the most generous interpretation? If
you left a unit in port that you wanted to move, it stays in port until the next
opportunity to move. If you failed to shoot at a target or to use the
firepower of one of your ships, you lose that attack opportunity. If you
didn't specify the order of the preference dice, your opponent's "roll" is the
higher die. If you didn't specify a combat order, the order is the order
in which you rolled your own attacks. If you didn't specify which ship you
were shooting at, your opponent gets to decide which ship was the target.
If you didn't specify which ship was doing the attack, you opponent may assume
it was any ship capable of that attack (or, if no ship is capable, that the
attack or, some of the dice if you're partially capable of the attack, is
invalid). If you didn't place the I-Boat, it's assumed to be in an area
where there are no valid targets. You'll notice that the options you can
force your opponent to take are not attractive. That's because when
you make a mistake, you pay the penalty. Double-check your actions before
hitting "Send."

Q.2 [1/10] What exactly are my options when my
opponent makes a mistake?A. You have almost all of the options. I encourage you to take the
most sporting and fair option you can come up with. However, you're not
required to do so. a) You can accept the error as originally written and
move on to the next step (this is the same as what happens when you don't notice
an error) -- though obviously corrections to bring the board back to a legal
position are mandatory. b) Another option is to require a re-roll of the
entire round (for example, when an opponent forgets to use some of his ships and
asks to be able to use them or when an opponent shoots with seven ships that
were disabled last round). c) You can allow your opponent the solution
s/he recommends. d) You can devise your own solution and offer it to your
opponent. S/he, of course, can reject it in favor of accepting the most
generous interpretation of their mistake from your point-of-view (see Q.1).
If the GM is asked to make a ruling, he will require the most generous
interpretation or the complete re-roll (depending on the type of mistake).

Q.3 [3/13] What if my opponent forgets to
withdraw ships listed on the Removal Schedule?A. The ships are removed the moment the error is noticed. They cannot
return fire (even if they've been attacked) or satisfy any other ship's removal.
Any unit whose position is invalid (ship at enemy port/base, LBA without a base,
etc.) is similarly returned to a valid base/port as soon as the error is
noticed.

Q.4 [7/16] What happens if email text and a move
file (Vassal/Cyberboard/WGP/etc.) contradict?A. Ideally, the player will contact his opponent and ask which is
correct. However, if a player misses the contradiction, the move file is
accepted as authoritative.

Victory in the Pacific® is a
registered trademark of The Avalon Hill Game Company.